Perhaps the only thing good about summer, was the nights. While still a little muggy, the wind was such a nice addition, and wasn't as brutal as the days (what with being stuck in black latex of all things). And with this cooling zypher, the inside of their little apartment was aired out for the night.

Inu, who was more than pleased with this refreshing feel, opened the door for his Master with a slight smile.

“Around four hundred.” Shiki replied, not entirely pleased with the turnout but given the simplicity of recent targets he supposed it was a given. At least they were earning money, which was as always a necessity. Business hadn’t necessarily slowed but it had managed to pick up on no-name individuals whose deaths accounted for some form of vengeance or spite and little else, missed by very few if they were missed at all.

He shed his coat as he walked further into the room, tossing it onto the couch Inu had once upon a time found unsuitable for sleeping on. It was strange to think of something that far past, but now and then it came to his mind. Particularly when he was tossing excess garments on it, though for the moment he stuck with the removal of the coat. Shiki had avoided much of a mess, but with recent targets it hadn’t been all that hard to avoid a mess.

The lack of a challenge was somewhat disappointing, given the fact that he preferred making a fight of it, but if his targets were that weak there was little he could do about it. He’d simply have to put up with it. Money was money, if h had to think of it that way.

“Of course.” Shiki refused to believe they couldn’t find work more suited to their level of skill, and it had to exist somewhere. It was only a matter of finding it, he reminded himself yet again. He couldn’t help a glance around the apartment as he considered the recent slump in business, garnet eyes narrowed slightly in his thought. Perhaps something had changed after that Mello took over Shinra.

A curious thought, but surely there were still plenty of individuals who wanted someone out of the picture. Finding them was the real concern but it wasn’t impossible. As long as it wasn’t, they’d manage.

Reflecting on the lag in business was a somewhat tiring thought, though Shiki’s attention rested on the door to his room only briefly. He wouldn’t let himself get into a slump along with his work, unwilling to accept it as it would be some form of personal defeat.

He absently ran his gloved hand over Inu’s hair, the gesture not uncommon and especially of late. It relieved some form of tension, even if it didn’t wish to speculate as to why. Where once he would not have desired company it was a wonder to consider how accustomed he was to having his pet around.

He'd return the pet with a smile and an affectionate kneed against the other's palm. There was a feel of idle frustration in the given attention, but Inu didn't pay much mind; the typical finding a suitable scrap of work that wasn't below a two digit number would prove to be hard from time to time. This, unfortunately was one of those times.

Though, no matter what sort of time it was, Master always pulled through with something, and Inu had absolutely no doubt that, soon, they both would be out again.

Feeling comfortable with the thought, the youth leaned against Shiki faintly. "Are you tired?" he asked. "Would you like me to start a shower for you, Master?"

“Not tired, no.” Although he wasn’t all that wearied – where was the exertion in jobs that were so simple? – it was draining to have such boring tasks repeatedly. He was used to being challenged, to having to actually think out or fight his way through a job rather than take out some pathetic, cowering individual that never put up any form of resistance.

“Shower is fine.” If anything perhaps he could get his mind off of the monotonous nature of work. And it never hurt to wash up after an inevitably long day, dull or not.

He’d have to be prepared for whatever came next, and hopefully that would pay better than their recent marks had. With any luck they’d get something more interesting.

"Very well," Upon being given the order, the white-haired boy would leave his master's side, though reluctant at first. Feeling against the wall until he came to the washroom's entrance, Inu flicked on the overhead light.

The sound of running water would soon echo through out the tiled room once the lad tugged on the tap, warmth seeping through the PVC on his fingers. After fiddling with the temperature for just a while longer, he soon emerged from the area, smiling toward his owner.

It was interesting to some part of Shiki’s mind that Inu tended to have the shower ready by the time he’d cast aside any garments he was willing to outside of the bathroom. A likely coincidence but something he noticed every time, not that he ever bothered to point out such a detail.

“Alright.” A simple response and equally typical, Shiki headed for the shower without saying anything else. Perhaps it’d dispel some of the weariness of the day, the monotony that had nearly driven him insane of late.

Without so much as a fair warning, Shiki caught Inu’s arm, forcing the smaller male to halt. Then watching the pet’s face he spent a few moments saying nothing at all before bringing up his free hand to wipe away a stain on the other’s face. Strange that he hadn’t noticed that detail before but he supposed he didn’t spot-check his pet every time after a job was completed.

“Blood.” He explained flatly, hand lingering only a moment too long before it dropped to his side again and he released his grip on Inu’s arm. It wouldn’t have done to just leave something like that there marring the features of his pet. Whether such a detail would bother anyone else didn’t matter at all to him.

Seems the pet was going to have to sniff where he was going from now on, especially since if he was going to be getting dirty on the job. Blinking for a moment, he would look at up at his master. He was almost tempted to question this new style of perfectionism, however, it was never good to dig where the nose didn't belong.

Merely tiling his head, his fingers would feel along his skin. "Is. . there any more? Maybe I should bathe when you're finished."

Shiki tilted his head, examining. He took a few steps around Inu and frowned. When dry, blood was odorless so of course the pet couldn't tell how much of it had gotten onto him. Part of that was likely his own fault; these recent marks were panicky and it always ended in a mess.

"I was careless." He concluded in his assessment, grabbing Inu's arm again and tugging him along. "Dried blood is difficult." Especially when Inu couldn't see or smell it, and it was persistent as far as stains went.

Master's fault? Nothing was ever Master's fault. Wouldn't ithave been the pet's fault for not standing back when the job was being completed? . . Then again, whatever Shiki said went, and he followed the older male as he lead him.